The Path to Hopefeatured

Every week I wonder, “What will I write a devotional about this week?”  Usually my mind is totally void of ideas and I hope that the Holy Spirit will give me an inspiration and then the words to write.  This week I remembered a painting that I did a couple of months ago titled, “Hope,” so here I am – hoping that the Spirit will give me His words!  Sure enough, the Bible verse I had chosen to go along with this painting, started me down the path to hope.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:13

A key phrase in this verse is, “as you trust in Him.”  I think the Apostle Paul is telling us that trust in God leads us to hope.  I think most of us would say that we trust in God.  I find that I can say that with my mouth but sometimes there are telltale signs that perhaps it is not totally true.  When worry and anxiety creep into my mind and hope begins to dim, it could be a sign that my trust is not where it should be.

Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots or horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”  Most of us don’t put our trust in chariots or horses, but many of us (myself included!) may find ourselves trusting the things of this broken world rather than God.  Some substitutes for chariots and horses might be:

Some trust in bank accounts and big houses…

Some trust in degrees and job titles…

Some trust in scientific knowledge and logical thinking…

Some trust in arsenals of weapons and political powers…

Some trust in their own expertise and strength…

Some trust in medical knowledge and healthy living…

Now none of these things is inherently bad and many are good things, but are they completely trustworthy?  Everything short of God is fallible and will at some point let us down or disappoint us. God doesn’t want us to place our trust in things that will only disappoint and aren’t worthy.  And basically, trusting someone or something rather than God, is really just idolatry.  Only God is truly worthy of our trust and the path to hope has to be based on Him alone.  

When anxiety or worry creeps into my head and heart, I think there are three steps that will get me back on the path to hope:

1. Pause and honestly assess – where or in whom am I placing my trust?
2. Ask God’s forgiveness for my wandering heart.
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower me to return my trust to God alone.

I’m pretty sure these steps will work for you too!  I know that I will have to do this “trust adjustment” more than once.  My prayer for all of us is that we will do it as often as needed to get back on the path to hope!

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